Passing through Fresno...

..with a group of six friends on a camping trip this weekend. Fresno will be perfectly-timed for a stop for lunch on the way in and out. What's a good non-franchise place to catch a bite? Is there a great local diner or home-cookin'-type establishment that's a regular with the locals?

Or is there a stand/hole-in-the-wall specialty place that shouldn't be missed?

Great lunches can be found in the Tower District (Olive Ave, east of highway 99). I usually meet friends at Palomino's weekly and am addicted to their steak sandwich and salmon salad. If you want a little hole-in-the wall try El Cochito Contento or Al's Cafe (both on Olive, east of 99), here threads that mentions them all:

If you like home cooking, try Santa Fe Basque. Tons of great comfort food for decent prices. It is quite a local hangout for all the "oldtimers" here in Fresno (the farmers and businessmen) and the waitresses have all been there forever. I usually get the fried chicken (and ask them to cover it in garlic). Here's the website: